When contributing to the reading guide, follow these steps: 1) First complete the reading guide on your own from the Ecology unit page. 2) Write your response to a question in word and then copy it. Be sure to upload pictures and/or video for each question. 3) Click on the edit button and then go to the appropriate question and paste your answer below it.Sign your contribution with your first name and last initial and TEAM COLOR 4) Scroll to the very bottom and in the Optional comment box, place a summary of what you did and sign it (e.g. "I answered chp 26 question 3" - Tom S.) Then click Save.
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1. Define interspecific interactions. -Mr. V approved Interspecific interactions are interactions among organisms of different species. I am not sure exactly what the rabbit and the sheep are doing, but they are interacting. Maybe the sheep is giving the rabbit a cleaning, but either way they are interacting. (This is why we eat sheep and rabbits; they are really easy to fool - Mr. V)
Jordan W (blue team)
2. What is the relationship between interspecific competition and The Competitive Exclusion Principle? -Mr. V approved The relationship is kind of like a cause and effect. Because of interspecific competition, species competing for a particular resource in short supply, the competitive exclusion principle, one of the competing species will become extinct, disappear from that habitat.
Jordan W. (Blue team)
3. Contrast the following terms: ecological niche, fundamental niche, realized niche and resource partitioning. Ecological niche is the total sum of species using the biotic and a biotic resources in it's environment. Fundamental niche is the full range of environmental conditions and resources an organism can possibly occupy Realized niche actually occupies in particular environment Resource partitioning is the differentiation of niches that enables similar species to coexist in a community
Stephanie A -Mr. V says OK but an example of each would be perfect :)
4. Give an example of character displacement.Mr. V approved An examaple would be two different sympatric species of birds but are very similar. Both birds eat seeds but on bird has a larger deeper beak adapted to eat bigger seeds and the other bird has a smaller shallower beak for smaller seeds.
5. Define and give an example of the following physiological defense adaptations.Mr. V says pictures are really necessary here
a. Cryptic coloration- camouflage
ex: A moth that looks like bark to blend in with trees
b. Aposematic coloring- Animals with reflective chemical defenses that exhibit bright color warning
ex: a colorful poison frog
c. Batesian Mimicry- When a harmless species mimics a harmful one
ex: Catapiller larva looks like a snake
d. Müllerian mimicry- Two or more unpalatable species resemble eachother
ex: Turtles have a worm like tounge to lour in other worms
Stephanie A 6. Give an example of a plant defense against herbivory. Chemicals that make plants poisonous to certain herbavoirs -Adam A.
so this plant has no defense, right... Effects of Herbivory 7. Contrast the following terms:Mr. V approved (very gross) a. Endoparasites- parasites that feed on the inside of the host
Tapeworm
b. Ectoparasites- parasites that feed on the outside of the host
Tick
c. Parasitoids- laying of eggs in a host, larvae feed on body -Adam A. Parasitoid Wasp
8. Define and give two examples of mutualism.Mr. V approved
Interspecific interaction that beniefits both species
Sharks are cleaned by small fish that eat the dirt off of them
Bids follow cattle because they eat the bugs that they bring. Cattle are cleaned birds get food. -Adam A.
Shark and Fish
9. Define and give two examples of commensalism -Mr. V says Pictures would complete this Commensalisms are alliances between two species that benefits one but does not hurt the other. One example is a clownfish and the sea anemone: the clownfish lives in the sea anemone and the anemone is unaffected by the fish. Another example is the barnacle living on the scallop. The barnacle finds a place to live that does not hurt the scallop.- Alyssa C. 10. Is the evolution of Batesian mimicry an example of coevolution, support your answer? -Mr. V says Pictures would complete this The evolution of Batesian mimicry is not an example of coevolution. During Batesian mimicry, in most cases, there is more than two species involved. This exceeds the two-species coevolution boundary. An example would be two species of fish, one with red stripes and one with green. The sharks that eat the fish go after the ones, so the green ones begin to "mimic" the red ones. All three species are affected by the mimicry of one of them.
-Steve W.- 11. Provide an example that correctly uses the terms species diversity, species richness and relative abundance correctly. -Mr. V says please revise: Species diversity is composed of richness and relative abundance, but you have not used these terms correctly Species richness in a tropical rain forest, for example, is bursting with life, with varying proportions, or relative abundance, of organisms, each being a part of the species diversity of the community.
Species diversity is the number of different species in a particular area (species richness) weighted by some measure of abundance such as the number of individuals or biomass.
-Amanda P.
12. What is the difference between a food chain and a food web? Which provides a more “full” ecological picture and why? -Mr. V approved Food chains link the trophic levels from producers to top carnivores but food webs are a branching food chain with complex trophic interactions
KEELY B - Bit map images don't upload well, only jpeg and gif
13. Write the terms and explain the two hypotheses that address the question as to why food chains are relatively short.-Mr. V approved Length of food chains are limited by the inefficiency of energy transfer along the chain and that long food chains are less stable than short ones
KEELY B
14. How do you characterize the dominant species? How is this different from the keystone species? -Mr. V says give an example please The dominant species are those species in a community that are most abundant or have the highest biomass and they exert powerful control over the occurrence and distribution of other species and are different because keystone species are not necessarily abundant in a community and they exert strong control on a community by their ecological roles, or niches.
KEELY B
15. Compare and contrast the bottom-up model with the top-down model?Mr. V approved
The bottom-up model postulates a unidirectional influence from lower to higher trophic levels (the lowest trophic levels, such as nutrients, limit the higher trophic levels, such as the producers and consumers).
The top-down model postulates that the influence moves in the opposite direction: It is mainly predation that controls community organization because predators limit herbivores, which in turn limit plants, which in turn limit nutrient levels through their uptake of nutrients during growth and reproduction.
16. What is the relationship between the term disturbance and the intermediate disturbance hypothesis? -Mr. V approved Disturbance is an event, such as a storm, fire, flood, drought, overgrazing, or human activity that changes a community, removes organisms from it, and alters resource availability. The intermediate disturbance hypothesis suggest that moderate levels of disturbance can create conditions that foster greater species diversity than low or high levels of disturbance. They relate because both of them change he habitat for the species to survive on.
17. Compare and contrast primary and secondary succession. -Mr. V approved When this process begins in a virtually lifeless area where soil has not yet formed, such as on a new volcanic island or the rubble left behind by a retreating glaciers, it is called primary succession. Secondary succession occurs when an existing community has been cleared by some disturbance that leaves the soil intact.
18. Define evapotranspiration. -Mr. V approved Evapotranspiration is the evaporation of water from soil plus the transpiration of water from plants. Emily A. Red Team Jackie H. red team 19. What is the Island Equilibrium Model and how does it help us better understand ecological changes? -Mr. V says you have confused island biogeography with Island Equilibrium.
Below is a description of island biogeography... Studies the biogeographic factors that affect the species diversity of communities. Island Models are a good example to study because islands are normally so isolated that few factors besides those that the researchers want to focus on will effect their study. It also allows us to identify key determinants of species diversity on an island with a given set of characteristics which helps us better understand ecological changes. –Jackie H. red team this arctic food web illustrates an example of the Island Equilibrium model because the animals and land of the arctic stays fairly consistant since few organisms can survive those conditions. Kim K. Red Team
Island Equilibrium Model considers how Island size, distance from the mainland, and emigration/ immigration rates effect island species diversity. Below is a simulation that lets you manipulate variables and examine how this happens. After playing explain why bird diversity can be so much higher on islands then mammal diversity.
20. What is the integrated hypothesis and how does it relate to the individualistic hypothesis? -Mr. V approved Integrated hypothesis is the concept that a community is an assemblage of closely linked species, locked into association by mandatory biotic interactions that cause the community to function as an integrated unit. This is related to the individualistic hypothesis because the individualistic hypothesis is the concept that a plant community is a chance assemblage of species found in the same area simply because they happen to have similar abiotic requirements. These two concepts basically state the same thing except one is due to chance. –Jackie H. red team This diagram illustrates how members of different communities interact within an ecosystem, which supports the integrated hypothesis becase it shows what certain organisms within an ecosystem must live off of compared to that which the other organsisms must live off of. -Kim K.
1) First complete the reading guide on your own from the Ecology unit page.
2) Write your response to a question in word and then copy it. Be sure to upload pictures and/or video for each question.
3) Click on the edit button and then go to the appropriate question and paste your answer below it. Sign your contribution with your first name and last initial and TEAM COLOR
4) Scroll to the very bottom and in the Optional comment box, place a summary of what you did and sign it (e.g. "I answered chp 26 question 3" - Tom S.) Th en click Save.
1. Define interspecific interactions. -Mr. V approved
Interspecific interactions are interactions among organisms of different species.
I am not sure exactly what the rabbit and the sheep are doing, but they are interacting. Maybe the sheep is giving the rabbit a cleaning, but either way they are interacting. (This is why we eat sheep and rabbits; they are really easy to fool - Mr. V)
Jordan W (blue team)
2. What is the relationship between interspecific competition and The Competitive Exclusion Principle? -Mr. V approved
The relationship is kind of like a cause and effect. Because of interspecific competition, species competing for a particular resource in short supply, the competitive exclusion principle, one of the competing species will become extinct, disappear from that habitat.
Jordan W. (Blue team)
3. Contrast the following terms: ecological niche, fundamental niche, realized niche and resource partitioning.
Ecological niche is the total sum of species using the biotic and a biotic resources in it's environment.
Fundamental niche is the full range of environmental conditions and resources an organism can possibly occupy
Realized niche actually occupies in particular environment
Resource partitioning is the differentiation of niches that enables similar species to coexist in a community
Stephanie A
-Mr. V says OK but an example of each would be perfect :)
4. Give an example of character displacement. Mr. V approved
An examaple would be two different sympatric species of birds but are very similar. Both birds eat seeds but on bird has a larger deeper beak adapted to eat bigger seeds and the other bird has a smaller shallower beak for smaller seeds.
Stephanie A
5. Define and give an example of the following physiological defense adaptations. Mr. V says pictures are really necessary here
a. Cryptic coloration- camouflage
ex: A moth that looks like bark to blend in with trees
b. Aposematic coloring- Animals with reflective chemical defenses that exhibit bright color warning
ex: a colorful poison frog
c. Batesian Mimicry- When a harmless species mimics a harmful one
ex: Catapiller larva looks like a snake
d. Müllerian mimicry- Two or more unpalatable species resemble eachother
ex: Turtles have a worm like tounge to lour in other worms
Stephanie A
6. Give an example of a plant defense against herbivory.
Chemicals that make plants poisonous to certain herbavoirs -Adam A.
Effects of Herbivory
7. Contrast the following terms: Mr. V approved (very gross)
a. Endoparasites- parasites that feed on the inside of the host
Tapeworm
b. Ectoparasites- parasites that feed on the outside of the host
Tick
c. Parasitoids- laying of eggs in a host, larvae feed on body -Adam A.
Parasitoid Wasp
8. Define and give two examples of mutualism. Mr. V approved
Interspecific interaction that beniefits both species
Sharks are cleaned by small fish that eat the dirt off of them
Bids follow cattle because they eat the bugs that they bring. Cattle are cleaned birds get food. -Adam A.
Shark and Fish
9. Define and give two examples of commensalism -Mr. V says Pictures would complete this
Commensalisms are alliances between two species that benefits one but does not hurt the other. One example is a clownfish and the sea anemone: the clownfish lives in the sea anemone and the anemone is unaffected by the fish. Another example is the barnacle living on the scallop. The barnacle finds a place to live that does not hurt the scallop.- Alyssa C.
10. Is the evolution of Batesian mimicry an example of coevolution, support your answer? -Mr. V says Pictures would complete this
The evolution of Batesian mimicry is not an example of coevolution. During Batesian mimicry, in most cases, there is more than two species involved. This exceeds the two-species coevolution boundary. An example would be two species of fish, one with red stripes and one with green. The sharks that eat the fish go after the ones, so the green ones begin to "mimic" the red ones. All three species are affected by the mimicry of one of them.
-Steve W.-
11. Provide an example that correctly uses the terms species diversity, species richness and relative abundance correctly. -Mr. V says please revise: Species diversity is composed of richness and relative abundance, but you have not used these terms correctly
Species richness in a tropical rain forest, for example, is bursting with life, with varying proportions, or relative abundance, of organisms, each being a part of the species diversity of the community.
Species diversity is the number of different species in a particular area (species richness) weighted by some measure of abundance such as the number of individuals or biomass.
-Amanda P.
12. What is the difference between a food chain and a food web? Which provides a more “full” ecological picture and why? -Mr. V approved
Food chains link the trophic levels from producers to top carnivores but food webs are a branching food chain with complex trophic interactions
KEELY B - Bit map images don't upload well, only jpeg and gif
13. Write the terms and explain the two hypotheses that address the question as to why food chains are relatively short.-Mr. V approved
Length of food chains are limited by the inefficiency of energy transfer along the chain and that long food chains are less stable than short ones
KEELY B
14. How do you characterize the dominant species? How is this different from the keystone species? -Mr. V says give an example please
The dominant species are those species in a community that are most abundant or have the highest biomass and they exert powerful control over the occurrence and distribution of other species and are different because keystone species are not necessarily abundant in a community and they exert strong control on a community by their ecological roles, or niches.
KEELY B
15. Compare and contrast the bottom-up model with the top-down model? Mr. V approved
The bottom-up model postulates a unidirectional influence from lower to higher trophic levels (the lowest trophic levels, such as nutrients, limit the higher trophic levels, such as the producers and consumers).
The top-down model postulates that the influence moves in the opposite direction: It is mainly predation that controls community organization because predators limit herbivores, which in turn limit plants, which in turn limit nutrient levels through their uptake of nutrients during growth and reproduction.
16. What is the relationship between the term disturbance and the intermediate disturbance hypothesis? -Mr. V approved
Disturbance is an event, such as a storm, fire, flood, drought, overgrazing, or human activity that changes a community, removes organisms from it, and alters resource availability. The intermediate disturbance hypothesis suggest that moderate levels of disturbance can create conditions that foster greater species diversity than low or high levels of disturbance. They relate because both of them change he habitat for the species to survive on.
17. Compare and contrast primary and secondary succession. -Mr. V approved
When this process begins in a virtually lifeless area where soil has not yet formed, such as on a new volcanic island or the rubble left behind by a retreating glaciers, it is called primary succession. Secondary succession occurs when an existing community has been cleared by some disturbance that leaves the soil intact.
18. Define evapotranspiration. -Mr. V approved
Evapotranspiration is the evaporation of water from soil plus the transpiration of water from plants. Emily A. Red Team
Jackie H. red team
19. What is the Island Equilibrium Model and how does it help us better understand ecological changes? -Mr. V says you have confused island biogeography with Island Equilibrium.
Below is a description of island biogeography...
Studies the biogeographic factors that affect the species diversity of communities. Island Models are a good example to study because islands are normally so isolated that few factors besides those that the researchers want to focus on will effect their study. It also allows us to identify key determinants of species diversity on an island with a given set of characteristics which helps us better understand ecological changes. –Jackie H. red team
Island Equilibrium Model considers how Island size, distance from the mainland, and emigration/ immigration rates effect island species diversity. Below is a simulation that lets you manipulate variables and examine how this happens. After playing explain why bird diversity can be so much higher on islands then mammal diversity.
20. What is the integrated hypothesis and how does it relate to the individualistic hypothesis? -Mr. V approved
Integrated hypothesis is the concept that a community is an assemblage of closely linked species, locked into association by mandatory biotic interactions that cause the community to function as an integrated unit. This is related to the individualistic hypothesis because the individualistic hypothesis is the concept that a plant community is a chance assemblage of species found in the same area simply because they happen to have similar abiotic requirements. These two concepts basically state the same thing except one is due to chance. –Jackie H. red team